SEAT AROSA
Drive one of the new breed of city-cars and downsizing in car terms makes more sense than ever. Vanessa Hinkley tries out SEATs Arosa.
If, like me (and 80% of the British public apparently), you notch up barely 20 miles a day going to and from work, you need a reliable car, but you dont need a huge one especially if you live and work in urban areas. A compact car like the
SEAT Arosa then, makes a great deal of sense. But by downsizing, will you have to make sacrifices? Citycar makers like SEAT say no and on the face of things, models like the little Arosa Im trying here seem to back this up. I was keen to live with one to check things out for myself.
Despite a facelift, the Arosa might not have the head-turning looks of others in the sub-supermini sector, but it has a subtle chic of its own. I was impressed, too, at how much room SEAT have carved out for the driver and front seat passenger. True, theres little legroom in the back and the boot is more of a locker grafted on the back, but if all you do is drive to work and home again, perhaps picking up some shopping on the way, what more do you need? As you load the boot, its easy to reach between the headrests to put extra bags on the back seat, so stashing away the weekly groceries is not a problem. And overall luggage space can be improved slightly by altering the rake of the rear seat back - a clever standard feature.
Getting comfortable behind the wheel takes seconds. All the controls fall easily to hand (theres not far to reach, after all) and you feel surprisingly secure in this small but chunky car. Its 1,000kg weight makes it one of the heavier cars in the sector, but the welcome payback in my book is the added sturdiness that this brings. Its neat dimensions make driving around town quite refreshing you can scoot through gaps that might defeat you in larger vehicles.
The best bit, though, is that
SEAT have packed extremely respectable performance into the 1.0-litre model that I was driving, as well as the 1.4 and the 1.4 16v.
In other words, in the Arosa you forget that youre in a
microcar, even at speed. The quality of the ride is equally impressive and the standard power steering is nicely weighted and adds to the cars manoeuvrability in all situations. In fact, in every respect, SEATs Arosa offers a quality of finish that belies its humble station in life, but then this is a model designed by SEAT parent company
Volkswagen and built in Wolfsburg to boot. VW's own version, the Lupo, is virtually identical, but rather more expensive.
Prices for the SEAT start at £6,000 for the 1.0-litre, rising to £6,500 for the 1.0S, £7,015 for the 1.4S, £9,515 for the 1.
4 16v Sport and £8,515 for the 1.4 automatic. Standard equipment includes features you might not expect in a citycar that excellent power steering for example plus an adjustable steering wheel and driver's airbag. And typical of German build, the cabin light stays on when you get out of the car until you lock up, a useful feature on dark winter nights. The 1.4S variant features electric front windows, central locking, a pollen filter, height-adjustable front seats and up-market upholstery trim.
The Arosa was full of surprises, nearly all good ones. It doesnt have the head-turning looks of a
Ford Ka but you might prefer that. Certainly, it has a much wider range of engines. This sturdy microcar, in my view, holds a wide appeal for commuters and makes a handy second car for the family.
It would be more than welcome in my drive.
<< Back to SEAT car reviews
<< Back to car reviews homepage
Find New & Used Cars in the UK |
New & Used SEAT Cars For Sale UK
